President Lee urges gov't to review national insurance coverage for hair loss, obesity treatments
Published: 16 Dec. 2025, 17:20
Updated: 16 Dec. 2025, 19:27
![A live broadcast of President Lee Jae Myung delivering a policy briefing to the Ministry of Health and Welfare airs on televisions in the main concourse of Seoul Station in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Dec. 16. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/16/826088db-1105-4838-993b-3cb38eb27c40.jpg)
A live broadcast of President Lee Jae Myung delivering a policy briefing to the Ministry of Health and Welfare airs on televisions in the main concourse of Seoul Station in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Dec. 16. [NEWS1]
President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called on the Health Ministry to review whether the national health insurance system should cover treatments for hair loss and obesity.
Lee made the request during a policy briefing by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday afternoon. After receiving a report from Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong on the ministry’s key achievements and current status, Lee raised concerns about the concentration of health insurance spending later in life.
“There is an issue with health insurance,” Lee said. “People don’t use health insurance as much when they are young, and most use it when they become older, especially in the last few years of their life."
Lee said younger people may feel unfairly treated because they pay insurance premiums but see few benefits. While acknowledging that paying premiums when young and using benefits later is a fundamental principle of social insurance, he said such perceptions nevertheless exist.
Lee then referred to his past campaign pledge on hair loss treatment.
“During the previous presidential election, I said we would support hair loss treatment. During the latest presidential election, I didn’t,” he said, adding that he still wants to see it happen.
Lee asked Jeong whether hair loss should be considered a disease.
“Young people seem to use different types of treatment for hair loss these days. Has this been reviewed?” he inquired.
![A screen capture shows content from a liberal Democratic Party YouTube Shorts video during the 2022 presidential election outlining a pledge to expand health insurance coverage for hair loss treatment. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/16/91c6573f-33d9-46c5-a69b-db0c922c74eb.jpg)
A screen capture shows content from a liberal Democratic Party YouTube Shorts video during the 2022 presidential election outlining a pledge to expand health insurance coverage for hair loss treatment. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Jeong responded that hair loss caused by medical conditions, such as alopecia areata, is already covered by national health insurance, but genetically driven hair loss is not. “In cases of genetic hair loss, it is less directly related to medical treatment, so it is not covered,” she said.
Lee questioned whether excluding genetic hair loss amounted to saying, in plain terms, “It’s baldness, so it’s not covered,” and asked whether the issue ultimately came down to how a condition is defined as a disease.
Jeong replied that genetic hair loss is not considered a condition that causes symptoms or affects life, adding that cosmetic procedures are generally excluded from insurance coverage.
Lee countered that perceptions may be changing. “In the past, hair loss was viewed as a cosmetic issue, but these days it seems to be increasingly regarded as an issue of survival,” he said.
Lee said the government should review the costs and consider limits if full coverage would be financially burdensome. “If there are caps on the number of treatments or total amounts, it would help prevent people from feeling, ‘I pay insurance premiums too — why don’t I get any benefits?’” he said. He added that insurance coverage could help bring down drug prices.
![A head suffering from hair loss [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/16/25d2dba9-3c4a-442c-b2c6-7f4e49fd9396.jpg)
A head suffering from hair loss [JOONGANG ILBO]
Lee also called for a review of health insurance coverage for obesity drug treatments. “Obesity treatment isn’t covered either, is it?” he said.
Jeong replied that in cases of severe obesity that pose medical problems, partial coverage is under review, but treatment for other cases is not covered. When Lee asked whether coverage was already in place or still under consideration, Lee Jung-kyu, director-general of the Health Insurance Policy Bureau, said that surgical treatment is partially covered for patients with severe obesity, depending on body mass index.
Jeong added that drug treatments for obesity are currently under review, noting that insurance coverage applications have been submitted and appropriateness assessments are underway.
When Lee remarked that medication-based treatment appears to be increasingly common, Jeong confirmed that he was referring to drug therapies. Lee was understood to be referring to GLP-1–based obesity drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Lee concluded by stressing the need to address intergenerational disparities in insurance benefits. “Issues where people feel, ‘I’ve paid premiums but receive no benefits,’ or ‘I’m in real need but get no support,’ need to be carefully considered,” he said. “I’m raising this because the sense of exclusion among young people has grown too large.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY RHEE ESTHER, CHAE HYE-SEON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)